By Janice Kaspersen

Some stormwater management programs have been in place for decades, while others are relatively new or are emerging as distinct entities from part of a larger public works or engineering organization. We asked several people who deal with stormwater management at the city, county, and state levels to share their insights into how stormwater management is handled in their organizations: how it’s funded, staffed, and organized; what resources they find most valuable; and how consulting firms fit into the picture. Several people who responded to our questions noted that a good source of information and ideas is networking with other stormwater professionals–eavesdropping on neighboring programs, so to speak–and this article provides glimpses into a variety of stormwater programs.

These are the participants:

Danny Bowden, stormwater engineering manager, Raleigh, NC
David Jostenski, project manager, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Stormwater Planning and Management Section, Harrisburg, PA
Brant Keller, director of public works and stormwater, Griffin, GA
Bill King, Public Works Department, Cartersville, GA
Jim Leiper, county engineer, Columbia County, GA
Heather Lea Merenda, stormwater program manager, Calabasas, CA
Betty Rushton, Ph.D., environmental scientist, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Brooksville, FL
Janet Vick, principal engineer, Storm Water Management, Department of Public Utilities, Gwinnett County, GA

Stormwater: How long have you had a stormwater program or stormwater management plan in place? What does it encompass?

Danny Bowden: We’ve had a stormwater program since 1989, which deals with capital projects for culvert and drainage improvements and for the regional water-quality program. We have a citizen complaint response program. We have a water-quality group to implement NPDES [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] permit requirements and an inventory group to inventory all drainage facilities in the city. We have review engineers and inspectors to handle drainage, soil erosion, and floodplain reviews and code requirements.

Brant Keller: Our program has been in place since 1995. In the beginning it was funded through the general fund, developing in 1998 into our stormwater utility, Georgia’s first. The program encompasses operations and maintenance through capital improvements. The City of Griffin will have completely assessed it watersheds physically, biologically, and chemically; mapped the watersheds using GIS; inventoried all manmade and natural attributes; and modeled the watersheds both hydraulically and hydrologically by June of 2002.

Bill King: Cartersville does not have a stormwater program currently in place. We expect to be an MS4 [municipal separate storm sewer system] community. As such we will be required to comply with the new Phase II rules. I will run the program once it is set up.

Jim Leiper: We have been working on a stormwater utility for three and a half years. Personnel dedicated to stormwater utility implementation were hired about nine months ago. Billing for the stormwater utility was initiated in October 2000. Therefore, the employees have been focused on correcting billing errors and explaining the stormwater utility to customers. We are initiating projects to construct regional retention ponds and provide streambank stabilization services to residents who are suffering significant property loss from streambank erosion.

Heather Lea Merenda: The City of Calabasas falls under the Los Angeles County NPDES permit for MS4. Los Angeles County is in the Phase I category, so the area has had requirements in place since 1990. We are six months from completing our second NPDES permit and will have a third NPDES permit in place July 2001…or so we assume–the last permit took over two years to negotiate.

Each city is required to attend the watershed committee meeting monthly. Each watershed must elect a representative to the executive advisory committee. The county, as principal permittee, coordinates the activities, performs the water-quality monitoring portion, assimilates reports, submits reports, and also implements the same programs the cities implement, for the most part.

Janet Vick: Our program was established in 1992 and includes development review of stormwater for quality and quantity; investigation of citizens requests for quality and quantity; industrial and municipal inspection; long-term trend monitoring; illicit discharge detection, including dry-weather screening; public outreach and participation; and an adopt-a-stream program.

David Jostenski: Pennsylvania passed the Storm Water Management Act in 1978 and program guidelines in 1985 that established a state-level grant program to assist local municipalities in managing stormwater runoff from new land development activities on a watershedwide basis. Grants are provided to counties to prepare the plans with the assistance of consulting engineers, municipal officials, and other stakeholders, such as watershed associations.

Betty Rushton: Stormwater management at the Southwest Florida Water Management District [SWFWMD] is conducted on many levels, including permitting of surface water in new developments, supervising lake restoration projects, providing cooperative funding to local governments, and furnishing guidance and advice to environmental professionals.

The district’s responsibilities have expanded over the years in response to a growing need for a more comprehensive approach to water management. Areas of responsibility now encompass water supply, flood protection, water-quality management, and natural systems management. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection provides oversight and support for all of our programs.

The stormwater research program in which I work was initiated in mid-1988 in response to changing national and state laws requiring SWFWMD to implement nonpoint-source pollution control technology. Since its inception, 14 research projects have been initiated–10 completed–to investigate stormwater pollution issues, including the efficiency of wet detention ponds and wetlands for water-quality improvement, alum injection for pollutant removal, agricultural impacts to receiving waters, removal of bacteria by wet detention and sand filtration systems, mosquito problems in stormwater systems, reuse of stormwater, a comparison of constructed and natural wetlands used for stormwater treatment, and the impact of aerial deposition on stormwater pollution. Our organization also deals with other stormwater management initiatives.

Stormwater: How large an area does your stormwater program cover in terms of both area and population?

Danny Bowden: The city limits include 117.3 square miles, and the planning jurisdiction is 175.9 square miles, with a population of 287,000.

Brant Keller: The political boundary is 9,940 acres in the city, and watersheds delineation is 16,000 acres, serving a population of approximately 25,000.

Janet Vick: We have a population of 580,000 in 440 square miles.

Bill King: Once in place, the program will serve a population of about 15,000.

Jim Leiper: Our county is 290 square miles with approximately 99,000 residents. The stormwater utility service area is approximately 99 square miles with an estimated population of 72,000.

Heather Lea Merenda: Countywide there 11.4 million people, according to the 1990 census, in 3,100 square miles. The City of Calabasas has only about 27,000 people in 12.9 square miles.

David Jostenski: The program is statewide.

Betty Rushton: SWFWMD is one of five regional agencies established by the Florida State Legislature in 1972 to manage the water and water-related resources of Florida. SWFWMD covers a 16-county area–10,000 square miles–with a population of 3.8 million people.

Stormwater: Where is your stormwater program located within the organization?

Danny Bowden: We have 14 staff members in the Stormwater Division in the Engineering Department. They handle all aspects of the program except for private development plan review. Eleven staff members of the Plan Review and Inspections Group are located in the Inspection Department.

David Jostenski: The program is located within the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Watershed Conservation, Division of Water Use Planning, Stormwater Planning and Management Section. The organization at the county level that commonly prepares the plans includes county planning commissions or departments. Implementation takes place at city, borough, or township level.

Brant Keller: Stormwater is a separate department.

Bill King: Our program will be a part of the Public Works Department under the direction of the city engineer.

Jim Leiper: The stormwater utility is part of the Engineering Department.

Heather Lea Merenda: The stormwater program is part of the city’s Public Works Department.

Betty Rushton: SWFWMD is a regional agency, and the stormwater research program at SWFWMD is located in the Environmental Section within the Resource Management Department. We also work with our Regulatory Department and our Surface Water Improvement and Management [SWIM] program. Our Regulatory Department issues surface-water permits in the district, and the SWIM program is responsible for retrofit and restoration projects built to improve water quality within the district.

Janet Vick: Our program is part of the Department of Public Utilities.

Stormwater: How is your stormwater program funded?

Danny Bowden: Our operating budget comes from the general fund, but our capital program is funded through supplemental sales tax and bonds.

Janet Vick: All our funding is through the general tax fund.

Bill King: We are studying the options, but the program probably will be funded by a stormwater utility.

Brant Keller: We’ve been funded through a stormwater utility since 1998.

Jim Leiper: Billing for the stormwater utility began in October 2000. Prior to that, we used a special tax fund that was dual purpose for roads and stormwater.

Heather Lea Merenda: We have money from the general fund, and grant funding when available.

Betty Rushton: SWFWMD is funded by ad valorem taxes, and some of these monies are used for matching funds to initiate the research projects. The cost of the research has been shared by grants from EPA through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the state’s SWIM program, and local governments through the district’s Cooperative Funding Program.

David Jostenski: The program is funded entirely through state appropriations. Counties, who are responsible for 25% of the cost in preparing plans, utilize in-kind services or cash to pay for their share.

Stormwater: How have you staffed the program? If the stormwater program is relatively new, are people in other parts of the organization taking on collateral stormwater duties, or are you hiring new personnel specifically for stormwater?

David Jostenski: The program consists of staff specifically dedicated to the program. However, the department coordinates stormwater plan preparation with other watershed-related planning activities through department regional-level "watershed coordinators" with additional assistance and coordination with local watershed groups through county-level watershed coordinators.

Danny Bowden: Of the 14 people in the Engineering Department specifically allocated to stormwater, four are engineers, six are engineering technicians, and four are inventory crew members. The Inspections Department has three plan-review engineers and eight inspectors specifically for soil erosion, drainage, and floodplain permitting and inspection.

Brant Keller: Our department consists of 15 personnel. This department is all designated for stormwater.

Janet Vick: Over time, existing staff has taken on collateral duties and new personnel have been hired.

Jim Leiper: The county engineer and an engineering manager manage the program. There are presently an engineer, an engineering technician, and a part-time administrative assistant. We are in the process of reorganizing, and this reorganization would assign the engineering manager to the position full-time, add a dedicated complaint-response position, make the administrative assistant position full-time, and add a part-time billing database management clerical position.

Heather Lea Merenda: Prior to 1998, the assistant city engineer and the public works director handled all the stormwater duties from the Public Works Department. As the workload increased, the city opted to hire a full-time stormwater program manager, which is consistent with the environmentally oriented city. The NPDES permit requires that all public employees who have positions that affect stormwater quality have to be trained in appropriate BMPs and inspections. In Calabasas, this includes public works inspectors, building and safety inspectors, plan checkers, permit counter technicians, planners, and contract employees. Recently the city added another part-time permanent position of volunteer water-quality monitoring program coordinator to ensure that the monitoring program will continue.

Betty Rushton: It is difficult to quantify how many people are involved with stormwater projects since water-quality improvement is one of the basic responsibilities of our agency and a large number of individuals are involved in this endeavor. Our agency employs about 750 people located at district headquarters and four outlying service offices.

SWFWMD’s approach to solving the problems of nonpoint-source pollution control covers at least three separate programs within our regional agency. The SWIM legislation was passed in 1987 to implement plans and programs to improve habitat and water quality discharged into water bodies of state significance. The Stormwater Research Program at SWFWMD is designed to provide data to support or modify our rules under the Florida Administrative Code, to monitor the pollution reduction achieved by some of the SWIM projects, to quantify the efficiency achieved by stormwater BMPs, to provide data and advice for stormwater improvement initiatives, to develop issue statements and action plans for our watershed management program, and to assist local governments with their own stormwater improvement initiatives by providing cooperative funding. The district also provides public outreach programs to educate the general public about stormwater management.

Stormwater: Has it been difficult to find personnel with the necessary stormwater experience–either people with experience in setting up and running a program or people with the appropriate technical skills?

Danny Bowden: Not really. We have been very fortunate in finding good engineers with stormwater backgrounds and promoting them or hiring them from consulting firms. Engineering technicians with a stormwater background are harder to find. We usually find highly motivated people for these positions and train them.

Brant Keller: Yes, it has been very difficult to find erosion and sedimentation technicians, a GIS analyst, and stormwater administration personnel.

Jim Leiper: Yes. We hired an engineer and engineering tech about a year ago and had to settle for people with the best potential to learn the stormwater skills needed for the position.

Betty Rushton: We tend to hire people with the proper educational background and then train them to do the job.

Janet Vick: It is very difficult to find people with experience in nonpoint source. We have hired people with engineering and environmental science backgrounds for our programs and trained them in nonpoint source and water quality.

Stormwater: Have you seen many stormwater professionals leaving the public sector for the private sector?

Danny Bowden: I have lost only one employee–an engineer–to the private sector since the program began in 1989.

David Jostenski: There have been a few very knowledgeable stormwater professionals in the mid-Atlantic region over the years who have left government positions to establish private stormwater and environmental businesses.

Brant Keller: Daily.

Betty Rushton: I am not aware of a problem, but we generally hire college graduates and train them on the job.

Stormwater: What training and other resources have you found useful?

Danny Bowden: We’ve taken seminars by ASCE [American Society of Civil Engineers], APWA [American Public Works Association], North Carolina State University, ITRE [Institute for Transportation Research and Education], IECA [International Erosion Control Association], and other major seminars offered by various colleges around the country, such as the Penn State seminars for HEC-RAS [software to perform river hydraulic modeling] and HEC-HMS [simulates precipitation and runoff processes]. We place a lot of emphasis on training to keep our personnel up to date, particularly on the technical skills and the policy issues.

David Jostenski: We have found university- and government-organized symposiums and forums to be extremely helpful to professionals and local government officials.

Brant Keller: There are several conferences and seminars, but nothing ongoing. Georgia has followed Florida in starting a state association strictly for stormwater professionals.

Jim Leiper: Networking with other stormwater professionals through organizations like Georgia Association of Stormwater Management Agencies is helpful.

Heather Lea Merenda: My background in geography has been valuable, as well as understanding the construction process and being able to communicate education as part of enforcement, modeling, and consensus building.

Betty Rushton: I have a Ph.D. in environmental engineering sciences, and while in school I had the opportunity to take more than the usual number of courses. The ones I found especially useful were hydrogeology, soil chemistry, environmental engineering, ecology and general systems, computational methods, wetland ecosystems, statistics, geology, water and wastewater, groundwater geology, urban and regional systems, aquatic autotrophs, and estuarine systems.

Janet Vick: It has been helpful to exchange information with other municipalities to learn what has worked and what didn’t.

Stormwater: Do you make use of independent consultants to develop or implement stormwater management plans, to help with public education?

Danny Bowden: All our stormwater management plans have been completed by consultants. We have done 12 or 13 drainage basins since 1989. Public education work has been handled by city staff.

David Jostenski: Independent consultants are retained by county governments to help prepare our watershed stormwater plans. Their level of participation depends upon the abilities of county governments to do technical work, such as modeling and GIS development. Consultants play a direct role in education by conducting advisory committee meetings and training/education sessions during plan preparation.

Brant Keller: We retained a consultant to develop our stormwater management program in conjunction with staff.

Bill King: We have discussed the process of setting up a stormwater utility with two consultants. So far we have no contracts. We do, however, believe we will need consulting services in the future.

Jim Leiper: We are considering retaining a consultant to prepare a stormwater master plan. Present staff is conducting some public education, particularly in the area of floodplain management for CRS [Community Rating System] points through FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Association].

Betty Rushton: We don’t use consultants in my particular stormwater research program, but the district does have an active internship program, and these students have been invaluable in helping with fieldwork and data processing for our research projects.

Janet Vick: We use consultants for stormwater management plans and also for public education on assessment and management plan stakeholder group meetings.

Heather Lea Merenda: We sometimes use consultants, especially lately as a result of time constraints. It seems that more and more requirements have been piled onto the existing requirements with tight timelines. The Los Angeles County Public Education Program is primarily contracted out to several firms due to its size. The City of Calabasas, and all cities under the NPDES permit here, must contribute to and participate in that program.

Janice Kaspersen is the editor of Stormwater.